What people ask before they count

Most kitchens take five to ten working days from the day the doors come off to the day they go back on. A small kitchen is at the short end, a large one at the long end. We give you the dates in writing when we price the job, and a late delivery of hardware or a repair we find can move them.

The door and drawer-front count, what is being refinished (doors, fronts, boxes, face frames, end panels), the repairs we found, the color and sheen, the number of coats, who removes and re-hangs the hardware, the schedule, the payment schedule and the terms of the warranty.

New hardware, repairs to water-damaged or loose parts, a second color on the island, doors that are replaced instead of refinished and anything that needs a carpenter. If we find one of these at the walkthrough it is written on the estimate, so there is nothing to discover on day four.

Yes. Federal rules for paid work that disturbs paint in homes and child-occupied buildings built before 1978 apply to every firm. We test the finish before we sand, tell you what we find and follow the lead-safe work rules the EPA sets. Our firm number is in the footer and under Credentials on the About page.

Yes, with some patience. The boxes stay in the kitchen, masked, with the sink, stove and refrigerator working. On the days we spray the boxes we ask you to stay out of the kitchen for a day, and we tell you which days when the schedule is set.

It depends on the cabinet, the finish and how the kitchen is used. We ask you to go easy for the first weeks while the finish keeps curing, and the product data sheet gives the cure times. What our warranty covers is in your written warranty, with its terms, limits and exclusions.

We use a cabinet-grade lacquer or enamel, chosen for the wood and the sheen you pick. Ask for the product data sheet at the walkthrough and we will put it in your folder, with the cure times and the recoat window.

Yes. Bring a chip, a sample or a door from a cupboard you are not using. We spray a test door in your color and sheen and you look at it in your own kitchen light before we start.

Yes. Open-grain wood such as oak shows through a flat finish, so we fill the grain if you want a smooth door. We say at the walkthrough which of the two looks you will get.

We spray doors in the studio, so most of the smell stays there. Boxes sprayed in your kitchen are masked and we run fans and filtered air. Open a window on those days. Ask about the product's odor in its data sheet instead of taking anyone's word for it.

The doors are out for a week, so open boxes are the hazard. We put cleaning supplies and breakables out of reach, keep the work area masked and clear tools every evening. Keep children and pets out of the kitchen while we work.

Yes. Bring the pulls and knobs and we fill the old holes and drill the new ones, or we re-use the holes you have. Hardware is priced apart from the band.

A deposit holds your dates and orders materials, the balance is due when you have walked the kitchen with us and signed off. The amounts and dates are on the written estimate; we do not start without one.

When the boxes are swollen, sagging or water-damaged, when you want a new layout, or when the doors are cracked rather than worn. A refinish keeps your boxes and your layout. We will say so if replacement is the honest answer.

Painting cabinets inside your own house does not usually need a permit. If you live in a condo or HOA building, ask about rules for dust, noise and deliveries and tell us the building's hours so we schedule to them.

The terms, limits and exclusions are in your written warranty, which comes with the estimate. Ask for it before you sign and read it with us.